Sighting apparatus for ordnance.



- Armani GR 19ll2a526 5R A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM.

SIGHTING' APPARATUS FOR ORDNANGE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 6,191a

1,1 12,526, Patented Oct. 6, 1914'.I

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, 0F WESTMINSTER, LON- DON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

SIG-I-I'IING APPARATUS FOR ORDNANCE.

1 ,112,526. Specification of Application led May 6, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR TREvoR DAwsON, knight, and GEORGE` THOMAS BUCK- HAM, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, Vestminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Sighting Apparatus for Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sighting apparatus for ordnance firing at high angles of elevation.

In sighting apparatus of the kind having an independent line of sight we have already proposed means for correcting/fer.driftT comprising a* cam which moves with the gun during elevation and which is adapted to engage with a part of the sight carrier so that during the ranging operation the sight will be deflected in accordance with the range. In connection with the range setting mechanism we have also proposed to employ a cam for controlling the pointer of the range dial or drum, the surface of this cam being composed of a number of curves based on the firing angles for various alti- According to tliiivention the sight bracket is connected with the pointing gear casing by means of a link and is pivoted upon a trunnion which is independent of but parallel to and preferably above the gun trunnions, and a part o-f the sight carrier concentric with the said independent trunnion is formed with a slot or groove with which a member connected by a link to a part moving with the gun in elevation engages, meansbeing provided for altering the inclination of the said slot or groove to augment or diminish the deflection imparted to the sight in accordance with lack of level in the wheels of the gun carriage.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gun mounting showing a form of sighting apparatus constructed in accordance with the first portion of our invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are a side and an end elevation respectively, showing the sighting apparatus on an Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

Serial No. 695,503.

enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

In Figs. 1 to 1 A is part of the gun carriage, A is the sight, B the sight carrier and C the sight bracket. o is the trunnion carrying the bracket C, the said trunnion being as aforesaid parallel to and above the gun trunnions. D represents the aforesaid member which moves with the gun and which engages with the slot or groove b in the sight carrier.

In the example shown the sight is of the periscope type having preferably three powers and arranged for large or small field of view. The periscope is shown arranged on the left hand side of the gun and the carrier or holder B is secured to the sight bracket C by a vertical pivot Z2* (Figs. 1 and 2) and a horizontal guide bx* which in Fig. 1 is arranged at the front end and in Fig. 2 at the rear end thereof. The said carrier B has an extension B arranged concentrically with the sight trunnion o as shown. The said extension is formed with the aforesaid slot or groove b in which a roller CZ on a lateral extension of a lever D engages. The said lever constitutes the aforesaid member which moves with the gun, and is pivotally mounted on the sight trunnion o. The said lever D is connected by a link d with an arm D on the gun trunnion, so that the lever moves with the gun both during ranging and pointing.

y.. The sight is maintained parallel to the ,lgun during pointing by means of a link E fpivoted at its lower end to an arm E on the pointing gear casing or bracket E arranged concentrically with the gun trunnions, and at its upper end to a lever E2 secured to the sight trunnion c, the said lever E2 being parallel and equal in length to the arm E. The aforesaid links d and E are parallel to the line joining the trunnion centers of the gun and sight.

The improved means for cross leveling the sight comprises a small hand-wheel F fixed to a right and left hand screw-threaded spindle f, the screwed portions of which engage in nuts pivotally mounted on projections CX and E2x of the aforesaid sight bracket C and the lever E2 respectively. VJ hen the said screw-threaded spindle f is actuated, the sight bracket is displaced in a plane transverse to the aXis of the gun about a longitudinal pivot C0 Which passes through the sight trunnions c and through a center pin co, the position of the said pivot With respect to the trunnion being such that their axes intersect as shown in Fig. l. The said cross leveling device provides in the example shown the means for varying the inclination of the aforesaid slot or groove Z) in the carrier B, as it is obvious that When the sight bracket C is moved about its pivot C0 the slot is inclined to the vertical so that during ranging the desired correction in deflection due to the lack of level of the carriage Wheels will be imparted as aforesaid.

The sight moves with the gun during pointing as a result of the aforesaid connection between the casing' or bracket EX of the pointing gear and the sight trunnion, and consequently during pointing there is no relative motion between the slot or groove b and the roller (Z carried by the lever D that is connected to one of the gun trunnions by the link cl and the arm D. lVhen, however, the gun is elevated farther for rang- ;ing, the sight remains stationary and consequently the roller cl, which continues to move With the gun in elevation (owing to the connection of the lever D to the trunnion) is displaced with respect to the slot b, and, the latter being inclined to the desired extent as aforesaid, the sight carrier B is displaced about its vertical pivot bx and the correct deflection is given to the sight.

IVhat We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In sighting apparatus for ordnancq, the combination with the sight, the sight carrier, the sight bracket, and the deflection pivot connecting the carrier to the bracket, of a sight trunnion for the bracket arranged parallel to and independent of the gun trunnion, a member moving with the gun during pointing only, means for connecting said member to the sight bracket, a member moving with the gun in elevation, an extension of the sight carried formed With a cam groove, means moving With the last mentioned member for engaging in said groove, and means for altering the inclination of said cam groove.

2. In sighting apparatus for ordnance, the combination With the sight, the sight carrier, the sight bracket, and the deflection pivot connecting the carrier to the bracket, of a sight trunnion for the bracket arranged parallel to and above the gun trunnion, a member moving With the gun during pointing only, means for connecting said member to the sight bracket, a member moving With the gun in elevation, an extension of the sight carrier formed with a cam groove, means moving with the last mentioned member for engaging in said groove, and means for altering the inclination of said cam groove.

3. In sighting apparatus for ordnance, the combination with the sight, the sight carrier, the sight bracket, and the deflection pivot connecting the carrier to the sight bracket, of a pointing gear casing, a sight trunnion for the bracket arranged parallel to and independent of the gun trunnion, means for connecting the said casing to the Sight trunnion, a member moving with the gun in elevation, an extension of the sight carrier formed with a cam groove, means connected to the said member for engaging in said groove, and means for altering the inclination of said cam groove.

l. In sighting apparatus for ordnance, the combination With the sight, the sight carrier, the sight bracket, and the deflection pivot connecting the carrier to the sight bracket, of a pointing gear casing, a sight trunnion for the bracket arranged parallel to and independent of the gun trunnion, means for connecting the said casing to the sight trunnion, an arm on said pointing gear casing, a link connected to said arm and to the sight trunnion, a member moving With the gun in elevation, an extension of the sight carrier formed with a cam groove, means connected to the said member for engaging in said groove, and means for altering the inclination of said cam groove.

5. In sighting apparatus for ordnance, the combination with the sight, the sight carrier, the sight bracket, and the deflection pivot connecting the carrier to the bracket, of a sight trunnion for said bracket arranged parallel to and above the gun trunnion, a pointing gear casing, an arm on said casing, a lever on the said sight trunnion, a link connecting said arm and lever, an arm on the gun trunnion, a lever loosely mounted on said sight trunnion, a link for connecting the last mentioned arm and lever, an extension of the said carrier formed With a cam groove and means for altering the inclination of the said cam groove.

6. In sighting apparatus for ordnance, the combination With the sight, the sight carrier, the sight bracket, and the deflection pivot connecting the carrier to the bracket, of a sight trunnion for said bracket arranged parallel to and above the gun trunnion, a pointing gear casing, an arm on said casing, a lever on the said sight trunnion, a link connecting said arm and lever, an arm on the gun trunnion, a lever loosely mounted on said sight trunnion, a link for connecting the last mentioned arm and lever, and means for swinging said sight carrier about a longitudinal axis.

7. In sighting apparatus for ordnance, the combination with the sight, the sight carrier, the sight bracket, and the deflection pivot connecting the carrier to the bracket, of a sight trunnion for said bracket arranged parallel to and above the gun trunnion, a pointing gear casing, an arm on said casing, a lever on said sight trunnion, a link connecting said arm and lever, an arm on the gun trunnion, a lever loosely mounted on Said sight trunnion, a link for connecting the last mentioned arm and lever, a longitudinal pivot for said sight bracket, and means for moving said bracket about the pivot.

8. In sighting apparatus for ordnance, the combination with the sight, the sight carrier, the sight bracket, and the deflection pivot connecting the carrier to the bracket, of a sight trunnion for sam bracket arranged narallel to and above the gun trunnion, a pointing gear casing, an arm on said casing, a lever on the said sight trunnion, a link connecting said arm and lever, an arm on the gun trunnion, a lever loosely mounted on said sight trunnion, a link for connecting the last mentioned arm and lever, a longitudinal pivot for said sight bracket, means for connecting said pivot to the sight trunnion and means for moving said bracket about the pivot.

In testimony whereof We aiix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM. Witnesses:

HENRY KING, J No. R. CAsWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

